Many people confuse schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) with schizophrenia. It’s easy to understand why this is the case, because the two separate disorders sound quite similar. However, there is a great deal of difference between the two conditions.

People with schizotypal personality disorder generally remain aware of external reality, whereas people with schizophrenia frequently lose sight of what’s ‘real’ and what isn’t. In this article, we’ll explain the differences between these two conditions.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder vs. Schizophrenia

There are many differences between people with SPD and schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a form of full-blown psychosis, in which a patient is unable to actually connect with objective reality. SPD, on the other hand, is a personality disorder which is characterized with personality issues and brief delusions or hallucinatory experiences.

One of the main differences between the two is that people with SPD often have infrequent bouts of psychosis, whereas people with schizophrenia often have to live with these experiences constantly.

A further, and more significant difference, is that people with SPD are often aware of their condition. They are aware that there is a difference between their regular, waking-state reality and their delusional or hallucinatory reality. Schizophrenics, on the other hand, are unable to distinguish between the two.

To understand the different conditions, it can be useful to have a basic understanding of both.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a condition that occurs in people who interpret objective reality differently than others. The condition is marked by hallucinations, delusions, and distorted thought patterns. These issues can make it very difficult for a schizophrenic to function in day-to-day life.

Modern allopathic medicine considers schizophrenia to be a debilitating mental illness that requires pharmaceutical treatment. Holistic forms of medicine, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and various forms of indigenous medicine, believe that schizophrenics are simply able to communicate with aspects of reality that are not easily perceived by the ordinary consciousness.

Whatever the case, schizophrenics are prone to a number of symptoms, such as:

• Developing delusions: false beliefs that are not grounded in the ordinary reality as it is perceived by other individuals
• Hallucinations – perceiving things, sounds, or situations that are not observed by others
• Disorganized thoughts and speech patterns, preventing people from communicating effectively
• Difficulty with motor control, seeming to move in accordance to objects that aren’t there

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

SPD is a bit different than schizophrenia. People with SPD are generally seen by others as strange, and they may have a hard time building close friendships or intimate relationships. This is partly because people with SPD have a hard time understanding relationship dynamics and have a hard time understanding how their actions can influence others.

Symptoms of SPD can be similar to those of schizophrenia, though they are not usually as severe or debilitating.

• People with SPD are often isolated and have very few intimate relationships
• They may have a hard time expressing emotions, or may respond inappropriately
• People with SPD often have serious social anxiety
• They may find personal significance in events that are unrelated to them
• They may have unusual thought patterns or belief systems
• They may experience frequent paranoia

Conclusion

While schizophrenia and SPD may share a number of symptoms, they are not the same condition. It may be possible for SPD to develop into full-blown schizophrenia, but in most cases, the two problems are completely separate.

People with SPD may frequently have trouble engaging with reality; schizophrenics, on the other hand, are more often disconnected to reality than they are connected. Schizophrenics are often diagnosed and given medication, where people with SPD may live their lives free from pharmaceuticals.

Reference 1: Mayo Clinic

Reference 2: E-counseling